Machine for making fiber tubes



March 2 1926. 1,574,991

C. MEHLUM MACHINE FOR MAKING FIBER TUBES Filed July 29, 1925 fa wzw waif A-Hya.

Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

CASPER MEI-ILUM, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING FIBER TUBES.

Application filed July 29, 1925. Serial No. 46,920.

To all 207mm 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, CASPER MEHLUM, a subject of the King of Norway, residing at lValtham, county of Middlesex, State of h'lassachusetts, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Machines for Making Fiber Tubes, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to a machine for making fiber tubes. Fiber tubes are usually formed out of cotton waste which is first formed into a web and while the web is still wet, it is wound on to a mandrel for a suflicient number of layers of windings to build up the tube to the thickness required and then dried. It having been determined how many layers are necessary to build the tube to the desire thickness, it is important that the windings should cease when the predetermined number of windings have been made. The mandrel is usually rotated while the web is fed to the mandrel, so that for each rotation of the mandrel, one layer of web will be wound thereon.

One object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the rotation of the mandrel will be automatically stopped after the predetermined number of rotations.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the'accompanying drawings and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification. It will be understood, however, that the particular constructions and arrangements shown have been chosen for illustrative purposes merely, and that the invention, as defined by the claims hereunto appended, may be otherwise practised without departure from its spirit and scope.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in diagram of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in front elevation,'viewed from the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is a section on the line 4'4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the righthand end portion of Fig. 2, showing the clutch disengaged to stop the rotation of the mandrel.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown at 11 the mandrel which is adapted tofbe operatively engaged at .one end with a driven rotary shaft 12. The other end of the mandrel is provided with a stud shaft 5 journalled in a bearing in a support 1. It is desirable that the mandrel shall be capable of having its driving connection with said shaft disconnected so that the mandrel can be removed with the built-up fiber tube upon it. For this purpose lugs 13 are secured to the inner periphery of the hollow mandrel near one end thereof having pins 6 which project outwardly therefrom parallel with the axis of the mandrel and are adapted toengage with holes 7 in a disk 16 mounted on the end of shaft 12, to which the disk is secured so as to rotate with the shaft.

The disk 16 is provided with a hub 17 to receive the shaft 12 and the said hub is provided with a pin 19 which engages a slot 18 in the shaft 12 so that the hub and disk rotate with said shaft and by reason of the engagement of the pins 6 with the holes 7 in the disk, the mandrel will rotate with said shaft and disk. The slot 18 is elongated in the axial direction of the shaft so that axial movement of the disk and its hub with relation to the shaft and -with relation to the mandrel will be permitted within the limit of the slot 18. This movement of the disk is to permit the mandrel to be installed or removed. Axial movement of the shaft 12 is also permitted for the purpose to be hereinafter described.

The shaft 12 is mounted in a sleeve 50 journalled in standards 21, 21 and is movable axially in said sleeve. On one end of said shaft there is mounted one member 22 of a clutch which is adapted to form driving connection with a cooperating clutch member 8 formed in the hub 9 of the driving pulley 25. The driving pulley 25 is rotatably mounted on the sleeve 50 said sleeve being provided at its outer end with a collar 10 to engage the hub 9 of said pulley and prevent axial movement thereof. When the two clutch members are in engagement with each other the shaft will be rotated by the constantly rotating pulley 25.

A collar 26 is slidably mounted on the sleeve 50 intermediate the standards 21, 21.

A pin 27 passes through elongated slots 51 in the sleeve and through the shaft 12 and rigidly secures the collar 26 to the shaft 12, and said collar is permitted axial move ment with relation to the sleeve byzthe pin and slot connection for a purpose to be hereinafter described. A spring having one end abutting against the right-hand stanijlard 91 and having its other end abutting against the collar 26 exerts pressure tending to push the shaft 12 toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2, or to resist axial movement of the shaft toward the right and therefore to maintain the clutch member 22 carried by the shaft in engagement with the clutch member c carried by the pulley.

T he sleeve 50 is provided with a worm as indicated at 29 and turns with the shaft when the two clutch members are in engage ment with each other. The sleeve is engaged by split nut 30 which is threaded to correspond with the threads of the worm. The nut is held against rotation and, therefore, travels axially on the worm as the sleeve rota es. The threads are pitched so that the nut will travel to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2.

The split nut is held by a clamp slidably mounted on a rod 32 secured to the standards 21, said clamp having two crossed lever arms 81. 31 which engage the two members of the split nut 30 as shown in Fig. A spring extending between the two lever arms normally causes the jaws 33, 33 to maintain the two members of the split nut closed firmly on the worm so that the nut will be operatively engaged with the worm and therefore be fed axially when the sleeve rotates.

The rod 232 permits axial movement of the clamp but prevents the clamp from rotating and therefore holds the split nut against rotation. A collar 52is adj stably mounted on said rod 32 and is secured in any prodctermined position len 'thwise of the rod 1.-

N b a set screw 03. 7 ii each rotation of the worm 29 and 12 the mandrel will make one rota l is shown the web which may be fed nandrel in any suitable manner. As n the drawings the web passes over V roll 2-35 (being fed from some source, not shown) thence through a tank 36 to moisten the web, the tank containing guide rolls Si"; 37, thence out of the tank and around guide rolls 38, Z39, thence over the pres er roll all) and: betweenthesaid presser roll -11 and the mandrel 11 and their coni 1 around the mandrel as 1011 rotates.

Additional presse i l, provider. at different points. squeezing the lever arms toward jaws 83, 33 will release their grip on the two members-of the split nutso that the nut may be adjusted axially on the worm. It should be adjusted so that the worm and mandrel will have the predetermi nednumber of; rotations wlien the nut has gtrazvelledrfarrenoughl to engage the-coll a r 26. hen the nut comes into engagement with the stop collar 26., the further rotation of the worm will cause the shaft 12 and nut to move axially together toward the right. As soon as the shaft 12 has moved axially a suilicient distance to the right to disengage the clutch members, the shaft 12 will stop rotating. The web should then be severed transversely at the end of the last lap on the mandrel and the mandrel with the tube thereon removed and a new mandrel set into position for the winding of another tube.

To reset the apparatus for forming another tube, the lever arms should be squeezed toward each other to relax the grip of the clamp, then the nut can be moved back in a left-hand direction on the worm to the initial position where it again engages the collar 53. At this time the spring 28 will expand, thereby moving the shaft axially to the left to re-engage the clutch.

What I claim is: 1. In a machine for making fiber tubes, a mandrel, a rotary shaft having driving connection with the mandrel, a rotary driving member, said mandrel shaft and driving member respectively carrying cooperating clutch members, a member mounted on said mandrel shaft and movable axially thereon independent of the axial movement of the said shaft, means whereby said axially movable member on the shaft is aimed to travel axially a predetermined distance during each rotation of the mandrel shaft. and means cooperating with said axially movable member to cause the said shaft to move axially a fer a pred termined number of rotations of said shaft and thereby disengage the two clutch members. i

:2. In a. machine for makii'ig fiber tubes, a mandrel, a rotary shaft having driving connection with the mandrel, said shaft being axially movable and carrying one member of a clutch. a rotary driving member. said mandrel shaftand driving member carrying cooperating clutch members. an axially movable member mounted on said shaft. means for causing said axially movable member to travel axially on the she ta elerm ncd distance at each pred rotation of said s a stop member lixed on said shaft which or god by said. axi ally movable member after it has travelled a predetermined number of rotations of the shaft, the pressure against said stop by said axially movable'member on the shaft caused by a slight further rotation of said-shaft being operative to move said shaft axially to disengage the clutch.

In a machine for manufacturing fiber tubes. a mandrel, a rotary driven shaft hav ing driving connection with the mandrel for rotating the mandrel, a sleeve in which'said driveir shaft 'i s mounted and rotatable there-- with, a wornr on. said sleeve; said driven shaft being so mounted as to be capable'of axial movement in said sleeve and carrying one member of a clutch, a rotary driving member carrying a clutch member normally engaged by the clutch member carried by the driven shaft, a split nut mounted on the said worm and held against rotation with the worm and adapted to be moved axially on the worm when the worm is rotated, a. stop member on the driven shaft which is engaged by the split nut after a predetermined number of rotations of the worm and driven shaft and mandrel, whereby during the continued rotation of the driven shaft and worm, the said nut will push against the said stop and cause the axial movement of the driven shaft and thereby disengage the clutch.

at. In a machine for manufacturin fiber tubes, a mandrel, a rotary driven shaft having driving connection with the mandrel for rotating the mandrel, a sleeve in which said. driven shaft is mounted androtatable therewith, a worm on said sleeve, said driven shaft being so mounted as to be capable of axial movement in said sleeve and carrying one member of a clutch, a rotary driving member carrying a clutch member normally engaged by the clutch member carried by the driven shaft, a split nut mounted on the said worm and held against rotation with the worm and adapted to be moved axially on the worm when the worm is rotated, a stop member on the driven shaft which is engaged by the split nut after a predetermined number of rotations of the worm and driven shaft and mandrel, whereby during the continued rotation of the driven shaft and worm, the said nut Will push against the said stop and cause the axial movement of the driven shaft and thereby disengage the clutch, and means for spreading the split nut and for resetting the same to its predetermined initial position on the worm.

In a machine for manufacturing fiber tubes, a mandrel, a rotary driven shaft having driving connection with the mandrel for rotating the mandrel, said driven shaft being so mounted as to be capable of axial movement and carrying one member of a clutch, a rotary driving member carrying a clutch member normally engaged by the clutch member carried by the driven shaft, and means for automatically moving in axial direction the driven shaft and the clutch member carried thereby to disengage the two clutch members after the predetermined number of rotations of the mandrel.

6. In a machine for making fiber tubes, a mandrel, a rotary shaft, a disk mounted on one end thereof and rotating therewith, a

bearing which supports one end of said mandrel, said mandrel carrying at its other end pins which are adapted to engage with holes in said disk whereby the rotation of said. shaft will rotate said mandrel.

7. In a machine for making fiber tubes, a mandrel, a rotary shaft, a disk having a hub mounted loosely on said shaft, said hub and shaft being connected together by a pin in one of said two engaging members with a slot in the other of said two members, in such manner that the hub and the disk rotate with the shaft, said slot in the shaft being elongated in a direction to permit axial movement of said hub and disk with relation to said shaft, a bearing which supports one end of said mandrel, said mandrel having at its other end projections on its inner periphery carrying pins which engage with holes in said disk whereby the rotation of said shaft will rotate said mandrel.

8. In a machine for making fiber tubes, a mandrel, a rotary shaft having driving connection with the mandrel, said shaft being axially movable, a rotary driving member, said shaft and driving member having cooperating clutch members, a worm mounted on said shaft, means whereby said worm is connected to the shaft in such a manner as to rotate therewith, said worm and shaft being axially slidable with relation to each other, a nut through which said worm passes and having threaded connection therewith, a support for said nut, means for holding said nut against rotation during the ro-- tation of the worm but permitting axial movement thereof, whereby the rotation of the worm causes the nut to travel axially thereon a predetermined distance at each rotation of the worm and shaft, and a stop member fixed on said mandrel shaft which is engaged by the said nut after a predetermined number of rotations of the worm and shaft, the pressure of said mandrel, shaft and worm causing the said shaft to move axially to disengage the clutch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CASPER MEHLUM. 

